Dispute Resolution: Norway

THE FIRM This large team is at the forefront of the Norwegian dispute resolution market, handling a broad range of high-profile cases. It is renowned both for its criminal law activity and for commercial litigation and arbitration.  

Sources say: "Very client-oriented and high-quality litigators."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Peers are united in hailing "outstanding" practice head Erik Keiserud as one of the best litigators in Norway. He regularly advises DnB NOR, Siemens and Telenor, and recently acted for the Oslo stock exchange in two major cases. Frode Innjord wins unequivocal praise on all sides for his brilliant litigation skills. Long-experienced litigator Else Bugge Fougner has been a leading name in the field for many years.

THE FIRM This is one of the leading dispute resolution teams in the country, with peers recognising it as one of their main competitors for both litigation and arbitration. It often appears before the European courts and the Supreme Court in high-profile cases.  

KEY INDIVIDUALS Sources applaud "extremely strong litigator" Ingvald Falch. He receives particular note for his recent victory in a landmark case concerning the tax regime in the shipping industry. "Top lawyer" Cato Schiøtz maintains his formidable reputation in the litigation field, particularly for criminal law and media-related cases. Highly regarded litigator Nils-Henrik Pettersson receives special mention for his prowess in construction disputes. Sources rate Vidar Strømme "very highly" and note that "his personable approach is effective before judges and makes him easy to work with." 

THE FIRM Sources agree that the large dispute resolution department at this full-service firm has achieved a formidable market position. It consists of many high-quality litigators and arbitrators with the capacity to handle a wide range of cases in sectors including finance, construction, and oil and gas. It has recently acted in several international arbitration cases.

Sources say: "Definitely a top-tier dispute resolution practice, covering a broad range of issues."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Acclaimed litigator Anders Ryssdal receives special mention for his work on competition-related cases, but handles a wide range of litigation and arbitration relating to company law, contract law and oil and gas, amongst other areas. He recently defended banks including DnB Nor and Fokus Bank against claims involving the sale and financing of structured financial products, and is a member of the ICC Court of Arbitration in Paris. Widely admired general litigator Magnus Hellesylt handles a diverse caseload, including IP, telecoms and shipping-related disputes. "Intelligent and proactive" Stephan Jervell is "excellent in court and particularly well versed in competition legislation," say peers. He specialises in oil and gas and public procurement cases, and handles a large volume of international arbitration work. Well-recognised construction disputes expert Helge Svarva is an experienced arbitrator and litigator. Peers view the relatively young but "very talented and intelligent" Thomas Svensen as "the future of Wiersholm's litigation practice."

THE FIRM This dispute resolution department excels in both litigation and arbitration. It often handles large cross-border cases, drawing upon expertise from the firm's Shanghai, Singapore and London offices. It covers disputes in a diverse range of areas, including competition, employment, IP and construction, with particular prominence in the shipping sector. Clients include Orkla, Norwegian State Railways, Transocean and Gjensidige Insurance. Celebrated litigator and arbitrator Per Ristvedt recently moved to the firm's Singapore office, WR Alliance, as managing partner.

Sources say: "One of the largest law firms in Norway, with a wide range of resources and experts in many areas, so we always find the experts that we need. We are very impressed with its work."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Sven Eriksrud is renowned for his litigation and arbitration practice, and has notable expertise in the construction sector. He recently handled a major arbitration for Orkla. Competition law and public procurement specialist Morten Goller is well known for his litigation work in these areas. Widely praised litigator Ola Haugen recently represented a Norwegian shipowning company in a dispute with the ports authority of the City of Kristiansand. Peers hold generalist litigator Dag Steinfeld in high regard. He has particular expertise in labour law-related disputes.

THE FIRM The 14-partner dispute resolution department at this large full-service firm is able to handle a wide range of cases, from complex financial litigation to high-level employment and pensions, tax and IP disputes. It has been especially active in the oil and gas and construction sectors of late. Clients include Siemens, Citigroup, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline.

Sources say: "Understands our business well and has a practical way of approaching issues."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to the team, Jan Jansen receives particular mention for his prowess in tax and insurance-related litigation. He represented Hafslund Venture in a case against the Norwegian State concerning capital gains tax on convertible bonds. Highly recommended litigator and department head Sam Harris is particularly strong on construction disputes. Peers and clients highlight Helge Olav Bugge's impressive success rate in court. He has been representing Oppland Energi in a complex dispute before the Eidsivating Appeal Court. Clients enthuse that Jan-Fredrik Rafen is "extremely commercial, with meticulous attention to detail and excellent legal knowledge. We wouldn't have won the case without him – that's how much of a difference he makes." He is highly recommended for maritime disputes, and recently represented Skuld P&I Club in a coverage dispute following a liability claim against the insured member. "Very forthright and strong" litigator Gunnar Sørlie has experience of a wide range of disputes but is particularly renowned for his expertise in patent litigation.

THE FIRM This sizeable team acts on a wide variety of arbitration and litigation cases, and often appears before the Supreme Court. Its lawyers have handled a number of international arbitrations of late. Clients include Telenor, Scandinavian Development and Fred Olsen.

Sources say: "A very broad team with the capacity to handle big cases."

KEY INDIVIDUALS The standout name on the team is Erik Samuelsen, who handles both litigation and arbitration and has expertise in renewable energy and climate law. Recent matters include representing Deloitte in a claim against an international insurance company. Department head Frode Elgesem has a broad litigation practice covering IP, media, marketing and competition law. He recently defended Dagbladet in a high-profile defamation case. Peers identify relatively young generalist litigator Borgar Høgetveit Berg as "a very special talent" and predict that "he will be one of the leading litigators in Norway in the next few years." Recent work highlights include representing IF Skadeforsikring in a contractual dispute. The long-experienced Carsten Riekeles is "smart, hard-working and an excellent craftsman in court." Anders Pind was recently admitted to the Supreme Court and is active in litigation and arbitration cases, with special expertise in construction disputes.

THE FIRM This prominent litigation team is regularly instructed by major names including PwC, KPMG and Statoil. It achieves special renown in the oil and gas sector, where it successfully acted for Petroleum Geo-Services on a termination of contract dispute regarding the building of a seismic vessel. Another area of expertise is employment, where notable recent files include representing Scandinavian Airlines Norge in a high-profile case concerning age discrimination.

Sources say: "It provides a fantastic service – there is always a lawyer available, even on national holidays – and good value for money."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Lars Holo is best known for his employment litigation activity. Clients say that litigator Fred Gade is "extremely meticulous, experienced and hands-on. He also acts promptly, and that fills me with confidence." Litigator Terje Granvang "is extremely responsive, works very effectively and knows our business very well. He is excellent at analysing the risks and deciding what to do," note interviewees. He recently worked extensively for auditing firm RSM Hasner.

THE FIRM This litigation practice secures an impressive number of mandates covering a wide variety of areas, including real estate, tax, construction, employment, media, technology and IP. Recent highlights include representing Hereema in an appeal court case regarding the construction of an oil platform, and acting for Natureborg in a dispute concerning a real estate development project.

Sources say: "One of the best that I have experienced in terms of the ratio of fees to quality of advice."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Highly regarded litigator Johan Fredrik Remmen focuses on disputes in the hydroelectric and construction sectors. Peers highlight Rasmus Asbjørnsen as an increasingly important name on the team. His practice encompasses complex financial disputes and labour, real estate and contract law-related cases.

THE FIRM This large dispute resolution team is particularly active at the domestic level, and maintains a strong market reputation. It has successfully represented many clients in Supreme Court cases. Its main areas of focus are commercial litigation, contract litigation, financial litigation and white-collar crime.

Sources say: "An extremely professional firm. The work is always of high quality and the service is excellent."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Clients say that litigator Morten Steenstrup is "very organised and detail-oriented, with a lot of knowledge and expertise. He is extremely hard-working and always available – you can contact him 24 hours a day, no matter where he is." Bjørn Stordrange is well respected for white-collar crime litigation and real estate-related litigation. Recent work highlights include representing Aller Group in a case concerning the media’s right to protect its sources against criminal investigation.

THE FIRM This firm handles a large volume of litigation, and often appears in front of the Supreme Court. It has particular expertise in construction and real estate-related disputes but handles a wide variety of cases, in areas including IP, employment and public law. The group's clients include several public bodies, such as the Ministry of Finance and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, as well as private companies.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Peers recommend department head Christian Galtung, who has a broad dispute resolution practice. He has been advising On-Time in a series of legal disputes regarding the ownership of a majority shareholding in the company. Harald Kobbe is a long-experienced and well-respected specialist in construction disputes. Litigator Thomas Naalsund recently successfully represented ResMed in a public procurement case, and KLP in a dispute concerning responsibility for the annual adjustment costs of occupational pensions.

THE FIRM This relatively compact dispute resolution team receives praise for its high-quality work. It is present in a range of sectors but is particularly prominent in energy and offshore matters. Peers highlight the group's prowess in bankruptcy litigation.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Practice head Jens Brede wins enthusiastic praise for his litigation and arbitration work, especially in the energy, construction and banking sectors.